2011 – 2012 Members of the ABA Commission on Youth at Risk

Schwartz, Robert (Bob) G. (Chair)

Robert G. Schwartz cofounded the Juvenile Law Center (JLC) in 1975 after attending Haverford College and Temple University School of Law. He has served as JLC's Executive Director since 1982. JLC is a Pennsylvania-based public interest law firm that works to reform State systems that serve children. JLC focuses on juvenile justice, child welfare, and children's health. Mr. Schwartz has written extensively on service coordination and placement prevention in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems; testified before congressional and Pennsylvania legislative committees; represented children in State and Federal class action litigation, and in abuse, neglect, and delinquency cases in juvenile and family court cases; and worked with advocates and policymakers in Pennsylvania and across the country to improve child-serving systems. He has been a Consultant to many State-based advocacy groups on children and family policy.

Mr. Schwartz is also a member of the National Advisory Committee of the American Bar Association's (ABA's) Center on Children and the Law. In October 1993, he spent a week in South Africa helping to design a legal system for children in trouble with the law. Mr. Schwartz is a Gubernatorial Appointee to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, and to the State advisory group that distributes Federal funds under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. He is a member of the ABA Criminal Justice Section Council; since 1992, he has chaired the Section's Juvenile Justice Committee. In 1993, he helped author the ABA report America's Children at Risk: A National Agenda for Legal Action, and he serves as an ABA Presidential Appointee to the Steering Committee charged by ABA with the report's implementation. In 1995, Mr. Schwartz coauthored A Call for Justice, which addressed representation of children in juvenile court.

Blunt, Judy

Judy Blunt MSW, JD is the Project Director of the Adolescent Services Resource Network (ASRN) located at the Hunter College School of Social Work in New York City. Funded by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, ASRN provides training, technical assistance and information services to agencies - including foster parents, social workers, and child welfare workers- on a wide range of issues that relate to adolescents.

Prior to joining ASRN Judy was the Program Officer of the Child Welfare Fund at the Center for the Study of Family Policy at Hunter College, and the Caribbean American Legal Defense Fund at Medgar Evers College

Judy has over 20 years of experience in child welfare and substance abuse treatment. Judy received her degree in social work from New York University and her law degree from the City University School of Law.

Brown, William E.

Major Brown (with the U.S. Army JAG Corps) provides legal advice on a full range of issues including military justice, domestic operational law, rules of engagement, law of war, military support to civilian authorities in times of natural or man-made disasters, and administrative separation cases.

While serving as a legal assistance attorney, Major Brown has provided counsel and limited representation to soldiers, retirees, and their families in areas such as estate planning, family law, landlord-tenant law, federal and state tax matters, and consumer protection. As an international and operational law attorney, Major Brown provided legal advice to military leaders in the international arena, interpreting treaties (e.g., Hague Treaties), international conventions (e.g., Geneva Convention and Geneva Protocols), and rules of engagement

Like many judge advocates, Major Brown has worked extensively on criminal law cases. While serving in Oklahoma at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Center on Fort Sill, Major Brown prosecuted soldiers at courts-martial. He has also served as a special assistant to the U.S. attorney for the western district of Oklahoma and prosecuted civilian offenders in U.S. Magistrate Court or U.S. District Court for offenses committed on federal property.

Major Brown earned his Juris doctorate and certification in labor and employment law from St. Louis University School of Law. While at St. Louis University, he served as president of the Black Law Students Association. Major Brown received a bachelor of science degree from Vanderbilt University, where he was a member of the varsity football team and served as president of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity chapter. Major Brown continues to serve on the board of directors for the Vanderbilt University Alumni Football Players Association “Gridiron Club.”

While serving on active duty in the U.S. Army, Major Brown received numerous awards and accommodations including the National Defense Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Superior Unit Award, and the Army Service Ribbon. In addition, Major Brown received awards and recognition from military leaders with whom he provided legal support, including the commander of the 3rd Brigade/85th Division, for outstanding legal support, and the commander of the First U.S. Army for service as a judge advocate in providing legal support during the mobilization and deployment of military forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Major Brown is actively involved in a number of civic and community organizations. Notably, he has served as a judge for the Teen Court Program, a nationally renowned youth crime prevention program that trains teenagers to serve as advocates and jury members for teens who have elected to have their misdemeanor cases held in Teen Court in lieu of the juvenile court system. As a volunteer for the Habitat for Humanity Program, he has helped build homes for the indigent in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Major Brown spends a great deal of time mentoring to students at local public schools. During the mentoring sessions, he spreads a message of hope, patriotism, and success through education to students.

Copelan Jr., John J.

Recipient of the Nelson Award in 2006; established as a tribute to the late L. Clair Nelson, who served as a Council member of the Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division.

Downing, Judge Marguerite

Hon. Marguerite Downing was recently appointed to serve a one term appointment as a Commissioner for the Commission on Youth at Risk and has been presiding over a juvenile dependency law calendar since September of 2007. A 1989 graduate of the University of West Los Angeles School of Law, Judge Downing worked as a Deputy Public Defender for over 18 years with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office prior to her appointment to the court. As a Deputy Public Defender, she represented at risk children in the juvenile delinquency system.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald George appointed Judge Downing to serve on the Commission on Impartial Courts established in 2007. She is vice chair of the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division Judicial Mentor Program and a member of Executive Board of the National Conference of State Court Judges.

Judge Downing is a current advisor to the Criminal Law Section Executive Committee, a position she has held since 1999. She is a past chair of the Committee She also serves as a Criminal Law Consultant for Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB). She also serves as the Hospitality Chair for both the California Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) and Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles (BWL).

Long active in professional bar associations, Judge Downing is a past president of BWL (1994-95), CABL (1998-99) and California Women Lawyers (2004-05). Judge Downing is also a former Commissioner of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law (2004-2006). Judge Downing served as a member of the State Bar Board of Governors from 2004 until her appointment to the bench in August of 2007.She received “Attorney of the Year” honors from both CABL and the John M. Langston Bar Association. Judge Downing is an active member of the National Bar Association Judicial Division. Judge Downing has spoken on juvenile justice issues and courtroom civility in such places as Dubai, Guam and Saipan. She has been a Board Member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles and the Inland Empire for more than 12 years. Newly elected as Corresponding Secretary of her Inglewood Pacific Chapters of the Links Inc., she is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. In her spare time, Judge Downing reads regency romances, knits, does crafts and travels.

Ehrlich, Alyssa

Currently an associate at Stilwell & Associates Inc. Former associate at at Pite Duncan, LLP. Delegate at American Bar Association. J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Freeman, Jelani

Jelani Freeman is an Attorney at the Department of Veterans Affairs where he works as a part of the appellate litigation group. Previously, Jelani served as the Special Assistant to the General Counsel in the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, where he supported the legal functions of the Department and served as the architect of many of the Department’s positive youth development programs. His interest in such programs grew out of personal experience. He was placed in the foster care system at age 9 and has spent time in multiple foster homes, shelters, group homes, and juvenile facilities before aging out of the system at age 18.

Jelani has worked as the “Youth Engaged in Service” Ambassador in the Executive Office of Mayor Anthony Williams and before that spent a year in the office of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, where he worked on various legislative issues. Jelani has given several motivational speeches across the country. He sits on the Boards of the Center for Adoption Support & Education (CASE) and the Barker Foundation where he has provided consultation to Barker’s Project Wait No Longer, which finds adoptive homes for foster youth. Jelani earned a J.D. from Howard University Law School. He also has a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University at Buffalo and an M.A. in History from American University.

Gray, Judge Ernestine Steward

Ernestine Steward Gray was first elected to the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court, Section "A", on November 6, 1984 to fill an unexpired term. She was re-elected in July, 1986, October 1994 and again in November 2002.

A native of South Carolina, Judge Gray received her early education in the public schools of Orangeburg, South Carolina. She graduated from Wilkinson High School in 1964. She attended Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, and the Louisiana State University School of Law where she received her Juris Doctorate degree in 1976. Judge Gray was admitted to the Louisiana Bar on October 2, 1976. Before Judge Gray's election to the bench, she was engaged in the private practice of law. She also worked with the Baton Rouge Legal Aid Society where she handled hundreds of family law cases. In November, 1977 she was hired by the Louisiana Attorney General, William J. Guste, Jr., to work in the Anti-trust Unit. In December, 1979 she became a trial attorney with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a position which she held until she resigned to become a candidate for judge. Active in civic and community affairs, Judge Gray is a member of numerous professional and civic organizations and has served on many boards and committees many of which have as their mission improving the lives of children and families.

She served as 57th President of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and Past President of the YWCA, YMCA and the Volunteers of America Board of Directors. She was past President of the Board of Directors of the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association. Judge Gray has received national recognition for her work and is in great demand as a presenter and speaker on the local, state, and national levels.

Judge Gray firmly believes in the strong bond of family and the value of children. Her desire is to provide for each child what she had and what she attempted to provide for her children -- a loving family that supported and nurtured their development with the proper measure of discipline. While times have changed, what children really need and deserve have not changed.

Her vision is to help create and enhance a system that truly values our most precious resource -- our children. We value them when we invest in education and recreation, and when we insure that they have a decent placed to live. She wants to be remembered as being important in the lives of children, not because of her temperament as a stern judge, but as an unwavering advocate for the rights of children. Judge Gray is married to Attorney James A. Gray II. They have two children, State Senator Cheryl Gray Evans, an attorney, James A. Gray III, a chemical engineer and attorney, and two grandsons, James A. Gray IV and Emory Steward Evans, and are the great-grandparents of two granddaughters, Morgan Corine Gray and Moriah Danielle Gray.

Jackson, Dr. John H.

On July 2, 2007, Dr. John H. Jackson became the President and CEO of The Schott Foundation for Public Education. In this role, Dr. Jackson leads the Foundation’s efforts to ensure a high quality public education for all students regardless of race or gender. Dr. Jackson joined the Schott Foundation after seven productive years in leadership positions at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He served as the NAACP Chief Policy Officer and prior to that as the NAACP's National Director of Education.